Best keyboard cleaner 2023

The best keyboard cleaner is essential whether you're eating at your desk or just playing games in your spare time.

Whether you own one of the best wireless keyboards or the latest and best gaming keyboard, there are multiple different methods of keeping your hardware clean to consider. These include using cotton buds and isopropyl alcohol, cleaning gum, canned air (for this, you'll want to look at our list of the best compressed air for PCs), or just a simple brush to get rid of any unwanted dust and crumbs.

Each one of them has its own merits, and depending on how much of a deep clean you want to undertake, different options will prove best, which is why putting together a list such as this isn't as straightforward as you might think.

Therefore, we’ve selected a multitude of different cleaning utensils based on their features, general reviews, and prices to cover all bases. Plus, we’ve answered some of your most frequently asked questions to help you pick the best option for your needs. Before that though, let's dive into our top picks!

Best keyboard cleaners

1. MECO Rechargeable Mini Keyboard Vacuum
2. ColorCoral Cleaning Gel
3. Hagibis Keyboard Cleaning Brush
4. APBFH Keyboard Cleaning Brush Kit
5. Falcon Dust-Off Electronics Compressed Air Duster
6. SIN SHINE Air Duster
7. MiracleSpray Cleaner

Credit: MECO

1. MECO Rechargeable Mini Keyboard Vacuum

Best keyboard cleaner vacuum

If you're looking for a rather efficient and powerful way of cleaning your keyboard, then investing in a dedicated keyboard vacuum may be the way to go, and this MECO Rechargeable Mini Keyboard Vacuum looks like a great choice.

Inside, it features a 2000mAh rechargeable battery, meaning you can use this thing for a decent period of time before needing to charge it back up. There are also a couple of different attachments included so you can reach even the highest of spaces. as well as a useful filter to separate dirt and debris.

The suction power is very good too for such a small device, definitely good enough at least to pick up any unwanted mess in and around your keyboard to keep everything clean and working properly.

Its small stature also means you can take this anywhere you need to, and of course, use it for more cleaning tasks than simply keyboard cleaning. As a result, it's a fairly versatile option, one we'd highly recommend considering.

• Read more: Best quiet mechanical keyboards

Credit: ColorCoral

2. ColorCoral Cleaning Gel

Best keyboard cleaner gel

The ColorCoral Cleaning Gel looks like a marvelous choice if you want to use a cleaning gel to clean your keyboard. In essence, cleaning gel works by picking up any dirt and debris as you move it across your keyboard since it's sticky. You can essentially mould and shape it to suit whichever is the best angle to get at any hard-to-reach debris, making it a handy bit of kit to have if there are any problem areas you're struggling to tackle.

It's worth paying attention to its consistency though because gel products degrade over time, and if the product loses its viscosity, it can become difficult to remove from the keyboard. That said, it's not all that expensive. So, if you do notice a drop-off, you'll be able to replace it without breaking the bank.

Handily, the gel is also lemon-scented, so when your keyboard has been cleaned, it'll also smell nice too, which is always an added bonus.

When the day comes when it's time to throw it away, it's worth mentioning that it's biodegradable, making it a more sustainable choice for you to check out.

• Read More: Best wrist rests for gaming

Credit: Hagibis

3. Hagibis Keyboard Cleaning Brush

Best keyboard cleaner brush

For a rather simple but effective keyboard cleaning solution, the Hagibis Keyboard Cleaning Brush is a worthwhile option to consider.

It's a tiny broom that you can use to sweep away dust and debris from practically anywhere on your keyboard as its slot cleaning head can be pulled out and its direction changed if you need to get a better angle to tackle any particularly tight spots.

Attached to the brush is also a keycap puller, which can help you clean inside your keyboard, as well as the outside. You could then wash the keycaps separately if you want to do a deeper clean as well.

So, as far as simple and inexpensive cleaning solutions go, you won't find many better than this Hagibis cleaning brush.

• Read More: How to fix keyboard keys

Credit: APBFH

4. APBFH Keyboard Cleaning Brush Kit

Best keyboard cleaner kit

If one keyboard brush isn't enough and you'd like to pick up an entire kit, then the APBFH Brush Kit looks like a great choice. 

Inside, you'll find seven separate brushes, each to allow you to access even the tightest of spaces and sweep away any mess that's got its way onto and into your keyboard.

There's everything from a traditional-looking brush to a toothbrush-style option, and even ones with more concentrated bristles for more precise application. You'll certainly be sure to find one that works for you in this kit. 

What's more, the set includes anti-static brushes which you can use on electronic devices without fear of shorting them out. If you want to, you could also use these brushes on more devices than just your keyboard which, again, makes this a versatile option to consider.

• Read More: How to fix keyboard delay or lag in Windows

Credit: Falcon

5. Falcon Dust-Off Electronics Compressed Air Duster

Best compressed air keyboard cleaner

Compressed air is a useful all-around choice for cleaning your keyboard to force out any debris with the power of air, and the Falcon Dust-Off Air Duster should do a pretty good job of it if that is exactly what you're after.

As this is a compressed air duster, you can simply spray it wherever the dirt is, and it should force it away for you to wipe up with a cloth and ensure near-spotless results.

It's quite a forceful method, but should also be rather efficient, given how powerful compressed air can be for cleaning purposes. For delicate hardware, this may not be your best bet then, but for a more rugged keyboard, it's definitely a great cleaning solution.

• Read More: Best AirPods cleaning kits

Credit: SIN SHINE

6. SIN SHINE Air Duster

Best keyboard cleaner air duster

If you want something with a little more power that's going to forcibly remove dust and dirt from your keyboard, then the SIN SHINE Air Duster is another worthwhile choice.

This may look more akin to a small handheld vacuum cleaner, but as an air duster, it pushes dust away, as opposed to sucking it in. It can provide high-pressure air at a speed of 27m/s, which means there's little chance any will be left behind.

The SIN SHINE duster also features a range of attachments you can use if you need a more focused flow of air for cleaning areas of your keyboard (and indeed the rest of your setup) when the standard head just isn't working.

In addition, you'll find it only weighs 1.9 lbs, making it quite light, and an extra long 10ft power cord means you shouldn't be at all limited as to where you can use it. All in all, a very well-rounded bit of kit.

• Read More: Best gaming desks

Credit: MiracleSpray

7. MiracleSpray Cleaner

Best keyboard spray cleaner

As the name suggests, MiracleSpray is a cleaning spray for your electronics that can be used to clean laptops, TVs, phones, tablets, and, of course, keyboards. It’s quite easy to use, as all you have to do is spray it over your keyboard and wipe it off.

MiracleSpray promises to wipe off dust, fingerprints, oils, food particles, and other kinds of residues without leaving any streaks behind. It has a quick-drying formula, which also ensures that your device is ready to use immediately.

As MiracleSpray Cleaner is specifically designed to be used with technology, it’s anti-static to avoid any shorting of circuits. Plus, it won’t cause any damage to your screen and surfaces, as long as you’re careful and wipe gently.

Another perk of this cleaning spray is that a microfibre cloth is included with it, so you don’t have to fish out any extra to buy one. It is advisable that you use this cloth to wipe your electronics to avoid scratches, hence why we think it's such a great pick as it comes with one already.

• Read More: Best gaming mice

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Finding the best keyboard cleaner can often lead to a ton of questions. Don't worry though, we've answered some of the most commonly asked queries right here.

Is a keyboard cleaner worth it?

We'd say that a keyboard cleaner is definitely worth it for the purposes of maintaining the state of your peripherals and ensuring they function correctly.

If you're working and typing at a keyboard all day, dirt will accumulate over time, some of which may cause a loss of performance if it gets stuck somewhere it should. In this case, a keyboard cleaner is, in our opinion, worth its weight in gold to avoid a frustrating drop-off in your keyboard's ability to accurately relay what you're typing.

Given that keyboard cleaners can come in all shapes and sizes, it also means that as well as keeping your device clean, they are also quite versatile devices and can be used to clean other technology too.

Is cleaning gel good for keyboards?

Cleaning gel is arguably one of the most efficient and easiest ways of keeping your keyboard clean. This is because you can shape it to fit neatly in any gap you need to clean, and it'll easily pick up dust and debris. It's also reusable for a good while before losing its stickiness, which is also mighty convenient.

What is the best way to clean keyboards?

This all comes down to personal preference and what you're looking for in a keyboard cleaner.

If you're looking for an easy solution, then getting a small vacuum cleaner can work well, or if you want just to quickly remove any crumbs and debris, a compressed air duster can also come in handy. Keyboard brushes are a useful manual option for getting into even the tightest of spaces, whereas cleaning gel is a handy all-round choice.

It's up to you though at the end of the day, hence why we've included almost every possible method in our list.

Can I use isopropyl alcohol to clean a keyboard?

In short, yes. You can certainly use isopropyl alcohol, as well as some cotton buds, for instance, to give your keyboard a deep clean.

Isopropyl alcohol can be especially useful for removing oily residue from things such as keycaps, and with a high enough percentage of alcohol (around 70%), is also equivalent to a sanitiser of sorts for your keyboard too.

Just be careful not to apply too much alcohol to your keyboard as you could end up damaging some of the internal mechanisms and circuits. For testing purposes, we'd say to try this out on a keycap that's out of the way before trying it on others. You may also want to 'wash' your keycaps in soapy water to give them a deep clean too.

How often should you clean a keyboard?

As a general rule, we'd say to give your keyboard a quick dust and wipe at least once a week just to keep on top of things.

For a deeper clean, once a month sounds right - this would involve taking the keycaps off and cleaning those separately, as well as going in between the switches themselves to dust.